Pakistani bags, black lists dozens of officials after the death of the Mediterranean | Migration news

Islamabad, Pakistan – When Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif removed Ahmed Ishaqa Jahangir from the position of the Federal Investigation Chief of the State Chief (FIA), he became the highest victim in cleaning the organization after Death at least 43 Pakistani near the coast of Morocco earlier in January.

The drowning incident came to light on January 15th, when 36 people saved the Moroccan authorities after their ship had grown in the Mediterranean Sea for 13 days. At least 37 others, including several Pakistani, remain missing.

Just four weeks before that, Greek authorities and merchant navy ships were carried out four separate rescue missions Near the Greek coast, saving at least 200 people, while close to 50 died, at least 40 of them Pakistan.

These incidents launched a rare Government action run by Sharif on officials who were in charge of stopping the smuggling networks of people who packed Pakistani from rural cities and villages dream of life in Europe and lead them on dangerous, illegal migration routes this is too often ended with death and tragedy in the waters of the Mediterranean.

Before removing the yahangir, almost 50 FIA officers were rejected for alleged negligence associated with the incidents of Greece and Morocco. In addition, Fia said that more than 50 officials were on a black list of serving at any immigration control point or trade units against people throughout the country, after the government’s investigation, while several arrests were carried out by targeting individuals who made it easier to smuggle networks people.

These moves follow the increasing criticism of the Government for not eliminating the racketeers of the smuggling of people and because of its obvious inability to protect the lives of citizens who feel forced to take risk travel to Europe, violating the laws on migration.

A senior government official, who is part of the working group founded by Sharif, said the Prime Minister has now sharply monitored the Government’s response.

“The prime minister takes this incident very seriously. He understands the implications and the reputable damage to the country, as well as the tragedy that affects the families of those who die or get stuck in distant countries,” said Al Jazeera official, seeking anonymity.

“We have improved not only our breakthrough border, but we are also focused on implementation and persecution. Now, smuggling someone from Pakistan will be a scary task, “the official claimed.

Long history of migration

It’s easier to say than to do, such as a recent death from Morocco – despite the lasting action of Sharif – shows.

Pakistani who want to migrate to European countries are not a new phenomenon. The trend began more than six decades ago, after the construction of the main hydroelectric power plant of Pakistan, the defender of the MANGG.

The initial wave of migrants consisted of those displaced by the dam. They were compensated for by Pakistani and British governments, allowing them to move to the United Kingdom.

Most came from Punjab, the most convenient and populated provinces of Pakistan, especially from cities such as Gujrat, Salkot, Gujranwala, Manda Bahauddin and Faisalabad.

The 2023 research report of the National Human Rights National Commission (NCHR), an autonomous state body of a responsible parliament, revealed that the same environment that greatly contributes to legal migration also see some of the highest cases of unproven migration.

“Among the first 20 districts contributing to 50 percent of the total workforce outflows from Pakistan between 1981 and 2021, 13 is in Punjab, six in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one in Sindhu, especially Karachi,” the report said.

Although central Punjab experienced economic growth because of its fertile land and industrial expansion, migrations from this region continued – often illegally – after the European nations tightened their border control at the turn of the century.

According to the statistics of Frontex, the borders and agencies of the European Union, more than 150,000 Pakistans have entered European countries using land and sea routes since 2009.

The terrestrial routes were more often in 2010, when economic migrants from Pakistan would go with dangerous trips on foot, sometimes walking for months. However, as the currents intensified, the routes developed.

While a decade of refugees in Europe from Afghanistan and Syria has been recorded by a decade, two countries have been faced with long -term conflict, and from some African countries, Pakistan’s migration numbers have remained relatively consistent, with an average of close to 10,000 unfathomable Pakistans entering Europe each year, Therefore, to Frontex.

After the Pandemia Coid-19 2020, New migration routes He appeared, the Pakistani authorities tend to detect unfathomable passengers.

Nearly 300 Pakistani was killed or declared missing in June 2023. The Adriana ship’s catastrophe In the Mediterranean. The families were told by Al Jazeera that their sons flew from Pakistan to Dubai, then to Cairo, before heading to Libya on a boat trip to Europe.

And if that route was long, the journey that the Pakistani who passed away from Morocco in January was even bigger: from Pakistan to Dubai, then to Ethiopia, then Senegal, and finally, a journey along the Atlantic coast to the Mauritania, where they are started a boat ride.

Munir Masood Marath, senior FIA official, explained that human smugglers, which operate huge networks in several countries, are not easy to stop because, on the surface, immigrants do not always meet as “illegal”: their documents for this journey from Pakistan It is legitimate, and officials do not have a way to know what they intend to do after landing at their first destination.

“People are now traveling on completely legitimate basics. They have a valid passport, a valid visa and a ticket. There is no reason to stop them at the airport,” Al Jazeera said in a recent interview in his office.

But Adriana catastrophe was a major turning point, said the government official of Sharif’s working group. The fishing lane, carrying about 700 people, covered himself from the Greek coast near Pylos. Only 104 people survived, including 12 Pakistani.

“After the 2023 incident, we had a hard time looking at our operations and began mass action. The results are now visible in the decreasing number of Pakistani who leave the country,” he said.

Statistics seem to support this claim. According to FIA data, about 19,000 people were stopped to leave Pakistan in 2022, and most intercepted land routes.

In contrast, Fia -in Marath noted that, in collectively, in 2023 and 2024, close to 70,000 people were stopped from the abandonment of Pakistan. Frontex data also shows almost 50 percent drop In the number of Pakistani who arrived in Europe in 2024, about 5,000 compared to 10,000 years before.

However, Marath, who recently returned from Morocco after exploring the latest tragedy, also admitted that smugglers identified and use new routes in cat games and mouse games with the authorities.

That is why, he said, the government has now improved the mechanisms of control and detection at the key output points of the country.

“We profile passengers by watching their journey history and social and educational background. If the destination of the person is Egypt, Ethiopia or Senegal-African countries with minimal cultural or people who have anything to do with Pakistan-it raises the alarm bells, “he explained.

Social drivers

Pakistan has been consistently ranked among or near the top 10 countries whose citizens have requested entry into Europe through irregular funds in the last decade, Frontex states.

Although the country’s economy has been rustling on the verge of non -payment for the last two years, it has reached 38 percent in mid -2023 with inflation, and poverty rates reached 39 percent, the Government insists that economic difficulty is not the only reason for migration.

Officials claim that social pressures play a significant role.

Marath, who originates from Manda Bahauddin, a district from which the usual irregular migration is common, said that family influence and peer pressure are key movers behind dangerous trips.

“In most cases, the families themselves invite their members to find a way to reach Europe,” he said.

“It becomes a matter of competition. If a neighbor has two sons in Italy, he bought a car and renewed his house, others feel pressure to do the same, whether they go alone or send their sons,” he added.

The recent Morocco incident involved people from relatively well -to -do families, including companies owners and those with previous experience in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Marath said that although the bay nations, including UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, hosts a large Pakistani diaspora that works there, for many their goal is to imitate relatives who are in European countries.

“Going to the bay countries is usually a spare plan. The dream is Europe. Having a family or friends is easier to agree there,” Marath explained.

Changing the landscape

The recent suppression of officials indicates the intention of the Government, the senior government official in Sharif’s work group proposed.

“There are obviously different factors in the game, but it is a key point to recognize them and work to repair things,” the clerk said.

He added that thousands of Pakistani remained stranded in Libya and that the Government was working on their repatriation.

“Libya is a challenge due to a lack of organized government, and different fractions control different areas. If they are still trying to move to Europe there, bring them back, “he said.” But for others trying to leave Pakistan for this purpose, we hope we will break the smuggling of people. “

However, Marath, an official of FIA, said that, in addition to improving the execution and training for FIA staff, it is equally important to provide sensitivity and awareness to people who have endangered their lives “consciously”.

“People pay anywhere between 2.5 to 3.5 million rupees [$8,900 to $12,500] smugglers. Why not use that money to build a future here instead of risking his life? “He asked.